Final Word from Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The same analysts and voters who were blindsided last yearby the ODS-ČSSD grand coalition at Prague city hall will bemuch more cautious this time. Instead of a repeat of the wildoptimism from last year about the prospects of a cleaner regimeunder mayoral candidate Zdeněk Tůma of TOP 09, skepticismwill run rife that Boris Šťastný of ODS merely wantsto squeeze out Bohuslav Svoboda as mayor and then enterinto another cozy relationship with ČSSD. At the same time,if another grand coalition is created, it will go much moresmoothly for ODS and ČSSD this time. Most voters will justshrug their shoulders in despair instead of traipsing down tocity hall to protest, the way they did last time. Tůma will havea particularly difficult decision to make. If he takes ODS's baitand puts himself up again for mayor, he'll be setting himselfup for another crushing defeat. The idea that Klaus's man(Šťastný) would allow Bakala's man (Tůma) to take control ofPrague city hall at this crucial time is nearly inconceivable.
Glossary of difficult words
to blindside someone - to catch someone unprepared; to attack someone from an unexpected position;
to run rife - to be widespread or common;
cozy - working to the mutual advantage of those involved (used to convey a suspicion of corruption);
to traipse - to trudge or to drag oneself somewhere;
inconceivable - not capable of being imagined or grasped mentally.